Trick of Freedom
by angelic lily
Summary: You wouldn't have uttered it if you thought it would come true.


**WARNING: the authoress herself has no idea what she has written. So don't expect much. Also, there is some one-sided FujiSaku. And death. But i didn't write it in detail :)**

**Have fun.**

**Me don't own PoT.**

* * *

She knew it was a bad idea. She knew it when the first wave of vulnerability hit her as she stepped outside. But she needed to _breathe_. Even shy little Sakuno needed her space sometimes. 

Of course the guards would say otherwise. They'd think it might have too high a price to pay for her freedom. They just couldn't see that she was suffocating, stuck in the heavily ornamented hotel room. The only exciting occurrence that happened was the daily leave for work her husband entreated, which consisted of having bodyguards teeming in every part of the room falling over themselves to 'protect' him. It was her only source of entertainment after they banned her from going outside. She deserved a little bit of peace. She had borne it for so long! The threat was already a year old; how long were they going to keep her from the outside world?

Feeling just a little bit sorry for her impishness, she slid past the host with merely a nod; marrying a high-paid (perhaps over-paid) government official paid off. The waiters recognized her and immediately set up a table for her; luxury brought her so many things. Still, she couldn't help but feel pathetic as well since she was only bold enough to escape up to the hotel restaurant. As a congratulatory privilege though, she shrugged it off.

Letting her long auburn hair slide to one side of her shoulder, she ordered a glass of white wine. She felt particularly confident this day. Her loud (as well as low) red dress and successful break out were enough to make her feel slightly light-headed.

At the clink of glass on glass, she came out of her reverie to smile graciously, almost flirtatiously, at the waiter. Truthfully she wanted to blush like mad but she decided she was just living her life the way she sometimes should have. Fearlessly. Taking a sip she giggled; what would her old high school crush say when he saw the transformed Sakuno?

_Probably 'mada mada dane',_ said a sobering voice in her head. Sakuno hung her head in defeat, knowing it was probably right.

"Excuse me Madame,"

Sakuno looked up to meet a waiter standing anxiously next to her table: obviously a new employee. However, she failed to recognize this due to the fact that her heart was emitting a slow sinking pain that spread all throughout her body: had she been caught already?

"Please excuse me but a gentleman claims he has an appointment with you tonight."

She couldn't remember the last time she had looked at her schedule and could not recall an appointment made, at least not since her bodyguards had seen it fit to close her up in the hotel room. As a result, she merely blinked her eyes blankly for a moment. But this logical way of thinking was soon overtaken by an exciting new feeling of release induced partly by the alcohol and partly by her daring get away. In less than a second all reason was thrown out of her head.

Surely she must have an appointment with _someone_. Even if she didn't, it might be fun to meet someone new.

"Yes, please bring him to the table."

"No need."

Both the waiter and Sakuno turned their eyes quickly to the figure that had recently entered the perimeter silently.

The smile was what attracted her first. The enigmatic smile that could hide anything from disgust to adoration formed perfectly across equally flawless rosy lips. Before she could draw her attention to anything else, the figure had moved and a slender hand had taken her own while the rosy lips that had only a moment ago been smiling kissed her hand.

"How nice to meet you. I never thought I would have the opportunity."

Her gold bracelet reflected off of his eerie yet fantastically blue eyes that had mesmerized her from the start.

The trap was set.

Meanwhile, the second this strange liaison was made the waiter had left mumbling about menus. He bowed to the distracted woman, leaving Sakuno to sit dumbly as her entire body seemed to warm up to dangerous temperatures. Never in her life had she been this… flustered. But then again she had never been kissed on the hand either.

"So… Miss Sakuno. What brings you to this decorous restaurant tonight?"

The elusive stranger had moved once again to seat himself across from her. Yes. It was a stranger. She would remember anyone like this had she had the pleasure of being acquainted. It was definitely a stranger.

He looked at her with his head cocked to one side, allowing his light brown hair to fall into his now half closed eyes. His hands were folded in front of him, patiently waiting. It only entered her conscious a minute later that he had asked her a question.

"Oh! Um… yes. I thought I should get some…air..."

Sakuno trailed off as she felt herself sound more lummox at each word she spoke. But her response was countered not by a sly comment implying her stupidity but a low melodious chuckle that sounded all the more… amused.

"I see. And you never thought to venture out further?"

Sakuno blushed, knowing it looked stupid to 'go out for air' in the same building you lived in. However, before she could answer the stranger spoke again.

"I apologize. There's no need to answer that. After all, it is rather rude to question the hostess and not receive any question in return."

She nodded, understanding with recovered maturity that it was an invitation to question her 'guest'. But what to ask? So many questions: who are you? What do you do? How do you know me? How did you find me?

"If you do not mind sir, I will ask you something than," she started, using her 'government official's wife' tone. She watched as he smiled in a way that indicated he did not mind at all.

"What is your name?"

"My name?" he repeated. His eyes had opened while a corner of his lip had gone up to form a half-smile. Sakuno felt an uncanny sensation run up her spine as he gave her an expression she couldn't quite put her finger on.

_Do you really want to know?_

"It's Fuji Syuusuke. You can call me whichever way makes you comfortable Miss." He smiled reassuringly, but it did just the opposite.

Her hands were trembling. She hadn't even seen it written down yet but already she felt the godliness of the name. The infinite perfection that defined this man was overwhelming. Her wine glass shook in her hand as she sipped it timidly. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. _Breathe… it's just a name. What are you so worked up for?_

_Did I hear it before somewhere?_

"Excuse me for saying but it's bad to have alcohol on an empty stomach."

She set down her glass clumsily as she looked up to his face. The smile again.

"How about we order cake?"

Teeth were shown this time. Yet they did not lesson nor add to his smile.

And the bait was in place.

----------

Cutting small morsels of the cake that oozed chocolate from every pore, she pushed them around the plate with her fork before setting it down beside the knife. It was too spongy for her tastes. As a distraction, she watched her companion cut his cake, a feeling of enthrallment and apprehension running through her veins.

The dangerous precision he had as he cut through his cake without spilling a drop of chocolate… for the first time it occurred to her that he might be an assassin called to kill her. She gulped with new fear and looked at him. She didn't know what to think when the restaurant lights revealed an angelic figure leaning over an innocent bit of pastry. It simply took her breath away.

_My God, he's so beautiful. I'd die by his hands any day._

"Would you really?"

Sakuno jumped in her seat as she looked about, panic stricken. She could feel the drumming of her heart loudly against her chest and the blood draining from her face and rushing to her head at the same time; it was a wonder she didn't faint.

"Are you okay Miss Sakuno? Here, take my water."

Just as quickly as it came it left. She mumbled a thank you for the water but did not touch the glass. Trying to look anywhere but her dinner companion she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry but what was the question?"

The smile was back again. "I asked if you would fall asleep forever to avoid an unwanted future."

"And I answered yes?"

"Yes." Sapphire eyes dragged her in, luring her to the edge before disappearing again. Yes. She must have missed the question. She could daydream at the oddest time… yet the question itself: there was something odd about it.

"W-would you?"

The fork stopped in midair, emitting a quiet metallic sound that was similar to one a sword made when stopped mid-swing. Setting down his utensil, his lips moved up in a much different manner than before.

"I may. I would be attracted to the euphoria at first; the feeling of security and helplessness mingled together with the evanescent dreams would charm me," he spoke. No, he _sang_. His voice soothed her, relaxed her every muscle while begging for release from the earthbound world. "But eventually I would grow tired of it all and careless destroy everything in order to wake myself into the pitiless world."

She caught her breath.

It sang… of a broken paradise… of her life.

So effortlessly it carried the underlying questions: could you too? Would you with me?

His hand reached out as if drawn to her imprisoned face. His fingers hesitated but soon pressed against the soft skin above her eyes. They trailed down ever so slowly, closing her window to the world.

She was caught.

----------

She would never have thought in a million years that she'd sit in a car not for the purpose of driving or being driven.

The leather hugged her exposed legs and her hands gripped the cold interior of the car. Moreover the lips. They were different. Her mouth opened and closed with unsaid bliss. They moved down her neck, sending rounds of unexplainable sensations to her brain. She could only gasp and blink her eyes rapidly in response like a fish flailing in the cruel air. His hand touched her, cool against her hot face. A breath of air tickled her ear: she didn't know if she wanted to moan or giggle.

"Your maiden name is Ryuuzaki Sakuno."

All else stopped. This time she looked at him. _Really_ looked at him. Her passion temporarily forgotten, she moved away from the body that had only a moment ago given her something like heaven; they glowed in the moonlight, his eyes.

"You went to Seishun Gakuen," he continued, "at the request of your grandmother. It was a tennis school. You didn't think you really belonged there. You weren't very athletic after all…" A touch on her knees that let off goose bumps in a second.

"Of course, like any girl, you fell in love… you could say, to Echizen Ryoma. The school's number one player. You idolized him, followed him everywhere. But…"

His finger traced her shoulder, renewing her previous ecstasy.

"He didn't love you back."

A piercing sound erupted in the car; she didn't know that it was his laugh until it started to die down to a chuckle at the back of his throat.

"He didn't even know you existed. Poor poor Sakuno…"

A puff of breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine.

"Then you went off to university like a good girl. It was lonely though wasn't it? Lonely… no one there to comfort you. Family so far away… No one cared enough. Until you bumped into a clumsy classmate."

His eyes never left hers. She tried so hard not to look but they demanded her attention as they eyed her like a predator would eye its prey.

"You decided to marry him since there was no one else. You didn't have much talent for anything anyways. So, like the princess in those stories you loved so much, you fell asleep…"

They changed again in the moonlight. They now looked like her with a strange sense of detachment. She trembled, suddenly realizing how exposed she was. She wanted to get away, please. She was sorry for running. _God…_

But she couldn't. His eyes called to her, promised such things she couldn't possibly refuse while at the same time revealing such horrors that were so grotesque that she wouldn't dare tear her eyes away. The trap was too tight; there was no room for escape.

In the quiet of the car in the empty parking lot she came to a revelation. She knew now, she knew. Even before the cool object (was it his hand? A knife? A gun?) touched the nape of her neck. He was going to kill her. With one swift motion, he was going to kill her.

_I'd die by his hands any day._

Oh she was such a fool! An idiot in the worst possible sense. How could she lead herself to death so easily? Only a true fool could. Looking into the blue orbs that never left her face, she could see everything. All the things she could have done. (_Leave, not marry, divorce, never lose hope._) All the thing that might have been possible. (_A job. Love. Happiness_.) And what hurt the most of all, the things she had done. (_Marry. False love. Deception. Losing hope. Giving in_.) The inevitability hit her like a fatal blow to the head. Tears welled up in her eyes although they did not fall. Oh, she couldn't, she couldn't. It was too sudden! She had so many things she could still do… so please.

"Please." She managed. She begged. But the moon already told her the answer.

----------

"Red on red." He mused. He had always wanted to say that. Admiring his ruined beige shirt, he leaned in on the dead face of the young woman. Tears still fell from dismal eyes. Wetting his fingers with the tears, he planted a kiss on her forehead most chastely. He smiled for real; something that was in danger of being lost to his ever fading memories.

"Sweet dreams Miss. You've earned it."

* * *

**There. I have no idea what this is. Originally i was thinking of writing a fic featuring some of tenipuri characters in killer roles but it ended up being this -scratches head- yeah...**


End file.
